Clicks-and-Mortar, Codes and Scripts, and C2Cs

Writer’s block is a common condition among writers, and Catholic site
owners and bloggers are not exempt from this condition. When bloggers
suffer from writer’s block, it is often difficult to find means and ways
to get inspiration, especially if we are unaware of other sources of
inspiration.

Given below is a list of means and ways by which a Catholic site owner
or blogger can find inspiration to revitalize his writing.  This list
is by no means the only means; they are just suggestions.  And you can
always be creative in using these suggestions to fit your particular
writing situation.

Go back to your “dream”

We often have a “dream” or “vision” in life that is rooted in our love
for God, our family, our country, and the Church.  Part of the expression
of this “dream” or “vision” is building a Catholic site or maintaining
a blog.  When we feel cramped in our ability to write, let us go back
to this “dream” - and as it were, refill our sensory imagination with
images that will re-energize ourselves.  Just reliving the reasons why
we started a Catholic blog is enough to place us back on track. 

Continue to read the Bible and spiritual books

Writer’s block often comes to writers when they are in a routine, and
writing becomes mechanical. For those who experience writer’s block as
something akin to this, then reading the Bible again or reading new
spiritual books can help break this routine.  The Bible always brings
up an insight of wisdom that we never had before - even if we have read
that passage in the past.  As for new spiritual books, when we read of
authors we had not read of in the past, their style of writing may
inspire us to revitalize our own style of writing.

Take time for prayer and reflection

Prayer reestablishes our relationship with God and grounds us in what
is really essential.  As we take more time in prayer and reflection,
our minds and hearts are enriched with an insight into life that can
help us see beyond what is before our eyes.  This vision enlarges our
mind and helps it to access a knowledge and a wisdom that can only
come from the help of God’s Spirit.  Grounded in this wisdom, we can
then write what comes truly from the heart.

Continue to write your regular posts

Even if we experience writer’s block, we should continue on with our
regular posts.  This will prevent us from totally being taken out of
the momentum we normally keep during the week.  And it is not usually
the whole time that we write that we experience that “block”.  Sometimes
as we get on with our first paragraph, the momentum helps us to create
the second paragraph and so on until we finish the whole article or
post.  Before we know it, we have finished the article or post even
if we have writer’s block.

Never slacken in your ministry or apostolate

If you also have a ministry or apostolate, continue on with this action.
Sometimes, without really expecting it, you may experience something that
is inspiring: a group that you minister to shares how much your teaching
them means a lot to them, or an old person you take care of pastorally
suddenly progresses in her health and appears to be getting stronger.
These experiences can really revitalize your writing. Even if you do
not share these experiences directly in your blog post, the nobility
of that experience carries over to your writing.

Read Catholic news

Sometimes, reading Catholic news can fire up our imagination and help
us get ideas in writing our Catholic articles or blogs.  There are
many web sites that offer free Catholic news.  One of them is Zenit.
With these news, we can filter what is really encouraging and uplifting
and take those news as platforms for creating substantial Catholic
articles.  For the more politically-minded, these news can help one
be confirmed in his or her Catholic cause or advocacy.

Watching inspiring Catholic films

Nothing can spark anyone’s imagination as that of a well-produced
Catholic film.  Perhaps one film that we can watch again that is
apropos to our present liturgical season is the film produced by
Mel Gibson: “The Passion of the Christ”.  Watching this film can
again ennoble our minds and hearts to seek God more intensely in
our lives.  And when our minds and hearts are indeed ennobled, we
can write more easily what is expected of those who maintain
Catholic articles and Catholic blogs.